Women’s College recruiting for study probing exercise and breast cancer risk, Toronto, ON

Monday, May 13 2013

Researchers at the Women’s College Research Institute (WCRI) are shedding new light on breast cancer risk in women with BRCA mutations. A new study is probing whether exercise can influence cancer risk in women with a BRCA1 mutation.

Women in Toronto can be a part of this exciting research by taking part in the study. If you’re over 18, have no personal history of cancer and are not pregnant or breastfeeding, you may be eligible to participate. You don’t need to have a BRCA mutation or a family history of cancer to take part.

For women with a BRCA mutation, risk of breast cancer is significantly higher than in the rest of the population. Everyone has two copies of the BRCA gene – one from each parent. This gene makes an important protein that is believed to help prevent breast cancer. Women with a BRCA mutation may make less of this protein, and having less of the protein increases their risk for developing breast cancer.

This research study, led by Dr. Joanne Kotsopoulos at WCRI, is investigating whether physical activity has any effect on the amount of protein the BRCA gene makes.

“What we want to see is whether a woman’s physical activity level can increase the amount of the protein that she’s producing,” explains study co-ordinator and graduate student Rachael Pettapiece-Phillips.

The goal is to identify potential ways that women with a BRCA1 mutation can lower their risk of developing cancer.